Re: That's -30-

: When receiving a news story, "30" was used to indicate the end
of the text. The thread below of "86" made me wonder why? Any "newsies"
out there?

An ex-newsie.

THIRTY -- The "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by
Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997) lists two possible
origins, "It comes either from the old telegraphy symbol indicating
the end of a day's transmission, a kind of 'Goodnight, I'm closing
up the office,' or from old printers' jargon. The maximum line on
Linotype composing machines is 30 picas, about five inches, and
when an operator reaches 30 picas, he can go no farther."